OUR POV: THE MMR BLOG

MMR Decision Framing System™

November 16, 2017 - mmr

As an industry, researchers regularly develop tools and processes to meet our Corporate Research partners’ need for actionable market information. But all too often, they don’t have the resources – or time – to review and evaluate the methodologies that continue to be added to the researcher’s toolkit. In Quirk’s 2017 Corporate Researcher Report, it is very apparent that research clients are looking to partner with experienced researchers who possess the business intelligence to assess the various methodologies in order to deliver better knowledge that can help solve business problems more affordably and efficiently. In a nutshell, they are looking for true collaborative partners.

At MMR Research, we believe that collaboration leads to better research and “better research” means taking personal responsibility for a project’s impact, always staying focused on the project’s outcomes. Much of our point of difference centers on our ability to think like a business person first, and a researcher second. We are adamant in our emphasis on understanding the business context that led to the need for research and the specific business decisions that will be made.

Understanding WHY a client needs the information is often more instructive in setting up a research design than WHAT information is needed. The process we use to uncover and deliver on the “why” is our proprietary, three-step Decision Framing System.

Using facilitated or conversational consultation, we gather information to define the project’s guardrails, focused on exploring the WHY, not just the WHAT, of a proposed research need. We ask questions that dig deeper into the business context, and work to define objectives and understand any ramifications or constraints that are important to the project. This step may also uncover existing, leverageable data. The outcome of this Decision Framing Consultation is the Project Framework.

In this step we determine the HOW of the project. Our expertise spans a broad array of methods appropriate to a variety of business issues; inputs from the Decision Framing Consultation are applied to select the best fit approach. Think of us as a Research Concierge, designing the best approach for each project using a method-agnostic toolkit. This results in the Project Roadmap, the plan that will guide the executive and reporting for the project.

The final step implements the Roadmap, executing the project with a focus on providing a trusted POV on the decision. Once the data is gathered, our senior experts analyze the results and create a concise summary of actionable recommendations that address the original business objectives.

Our Decision Framing System™ ensures that we create better, more efficient research projects built on the foundation of our clients’ specific business questions. By ensuring clarity of purpose and a shared vision throughout the project, and not trying to “force-fit” a solution, we get to the heart of the matter clearly, concisely, and effectively, providing actionable recommendations that truly impact our client’s business decisions. At MMR we believe the outcome-focused approach of our proprietary System delivers a more comprehensive process that is guided by purpose not method, returning more actionable results and a better research experience overall for our clients.

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Our Culture is performance-driven, yet collaborative, flexible, and informal. The organization is flat. Leadership is accessible. The collective focus is on impacting client business decisions and delivering a superior client experience along the way. All MMR staff members have extensive client exposure, accelerated learning opportunities, and the ability to impact their own compensation by creating value for MMR clients.

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An advanced degree in marketing research or a related field

Previous experience with a leading marketing organization, a large research supplier, or
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A “high achiever” mentality

A little bit of an entrepreneurial streak

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